The Disneyland Area Chicken Coop - with photos

[Hope49]

Thank you! I also like the way it is going to look, and yes, this area is in full view to be enjoyed from a large patio nearby.

Here is the original 2-level deck - we already have the lower part torn out to the base.
The tipu tree will canopy this area into full shade, being 50 ft tall with a 30' umbrella over it, 10 months of the year.

So based on recommendations, here's the new drawing -

This will put the nest box in the shade all day, that direction is west, but the only sun it will see is March April when the tipu sheds completely.

I don't know whether to get the sun filtering, translucent panels for the roof, or the one that blocks 65% of the light. DH favors the dark grey, as in this link:

http://www.homedepot.com/Building-M...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

 

[Hope49]

Well we went with the dark grey one. Got the materials yesterday and here we go...

2 of my 5 "normal" pets - and the view to the dog safe side.

 

[kemclaughlin]

It gets so hot in Anaheim that I would also try to include a way to put in a ventilation fan if I were you. It does not just get hot, it gets still. The wind does not blow and it's 100 degrees....

 

[Hope49]

Kemclaughlin, thank you so much for visiting! I completely agree with you about Anaheim's weather. We get a few heat waves each year that last 4 or more days that could really be rough on "the ladies". We plan 2 vents and a window, and on those nights like you're talking about, when it gets so still that it never cools off at all - somehow I'm going to make our big cleanout door have a way to be left open - like a big framed screen that would latch onto the frame or something. That will give us vents on all 4 sides. Or is that overkill, being under a shade tree too?

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Looking good. Id do the 65 percent or more even 100 percent. I am in San Diego county in the high desert but we dont get the heat you guys do. Do you get Santa Annas I forget if you are in that weather pattern. I dont have a DH to do my roof.... so I have to do silver heat reflecting tarp where I am. Sigh. Nice part about those corrugated panels is they naturally allow heat to flow out by convection if you dont block them off completely. Low to high will suck the heat and draw more air along with it.

If you find the coop part doesnt have enough ventilation you can add hardware cloth covered openings that can be covered by plywood shutters. And you can even add those later. My girls still layed eggs even in 100 degree heat. Though My next setup will have the nest boxes centrally located under cover of the roof.

My last coop was like you described on one of your posts four cage walls and a roof. But even though we dont have many cold days we do get them and having a wind break up where they roost seems to me like something desirable. My next coop is going to be a variation of open air and shutters for the winter winds. I am also considering doing over head misters for those very hot days.... they bring the temps down about ten or fifteen degrees.

 

[Hope49]

I'm so glad to hear from you Perchie Girl. For one thing, this solves one worry because I had heard that chickens need 14 hrs of sunlight to lay eggs, and I was afraid the gray panels plus being under a shade tree would be so dark they wouldn't lay much. We were also talking about using some misters during heat waves. In fact, Home depot has a fan we could put outside the run that has misters along with the fan.

Today we were so bummed because we woke up to drizzle that lasted for hours, and got a real late start. It's hard to think about heat waves but we have to remember that they come with a vengeance.

Yesterday's work - It's 8' wide by 38" deep

Today we did some more - so far so good. Will put the pop door in the other panel, tomorrow.

This view is around back, where we will have this big cleanout door. I can rake stuff right off the deck and around the trees if I want to.

Our nest box ended up being 36" across. Should we divide it into 2 boxes or 3? If we divide it in half, it's about 17.5 wide per box ". Is this too wide for a nest box?

 

[macadam8157]

Quote:
Go for 3!!! 12"x12"x12" Those are dimensions for most standards!

 

[macadam8157]

Looks good! Love the progress reports. Happy hammering!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Nice job I like your arrangement with a deck at the same level of the coop.

You might try putting in two removable partitions and start with one single box 36 inches wide. Often times they will stand in line for that one nest box that is the favorite and leave the rest alone.... I am considerting doing tunnel nests (communal) for mine because of building materials and access. I am doing breed pens this time.

With regard to sunshine I think ambient light is more than enough to provide the 14 hours. In colder climates than us there will be times when the sunlite isnt enough because the chickens wind up being inside for those heavy cold days and thats when they extend the light a couple of hours morning and eveing to get eggs all year.

We will have the opposite happen because of the heat. This is where I think having an open nest is a good idea so there is lots of air movement. There have been some days when I have gone in my last coop to find hens in the nest boxes trying to lay eggs with their wings spread out and panting. I am even thinking of putting in hardware cloth on the bottom with a board to slide under for the winter.

 

[Hopeful Peacock]

Love your coop - looks good.

BTW, your silver laced wyandotte looks a lot like mine. Mine is just a tad spottier. She is not chipmunk striped at all.